Game



F. E. WORTMANN.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 191a.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET IN VENTOB gdwul 10 141214 7 11 TTORNEY F. E. WORTMANN.

GAME.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. I, 1918.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETS- HEET 2.

..... LP! 2 5 a w. m m: m I

$4449 lfll/E/ZZZL ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 8 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ EDWARD WORTMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO KENTUCKY DERBY 00., INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF N'EW YORK.

GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

' horses or the like are adapted to be pro- Be it known that I, FRANZ EDWARD WORT- MANN, a subject of the Empye ror of Ger many, and resident of New ork city in the county of New York and State of ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Games, of

-which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement devices of the character disclosed in Patent No. 1203852 in which a number of units such as carriages, dolls,

polled along a race course by the manipulation of a corresponding number of hand wheels, each operator or player striving to be the first to bring his unit to the winning post and thereby win the race. In apparatus of this kind, the driving means is such that the units are adapted to be freed or disconnected from their corresponding hand wheels when thespeed of rotation of the latter exceeds a predetermined value so that they remain stationary or move in an opposite direction under the influence of falling weights or other suitable means.

fully with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus embodying my improvements in a referred form, taken on the line A A of Fi 2 is a vertical section taken on the line -B of Fig. 1. I v

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the improved driving and controlling means with the parts in the inoperative osition, that is, before the racehas started i.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 3;

Fig. is an elevation of the driving and controlllng means showing the parts in the driving or operative position;

Fig. .6 isa side elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the parts.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a handwheel mounted on a table 2 which extends across the front of the main structure of the device, it being understood that there are as many of these handwheels as there are units to'be propelled along the race course. The handwheel 1 is secured to the upper end of a shaft 3 which is suitablyv journaled at 4 in the table 2 and which has its lower end mounted in a footstep bearing 4 of any suitable type. In order to avoid friction, said bearings are preferably of the ball or roller type so that the driving of the shafts will entail little efiort on the part of the operator. Mounted securely on the shaft 3 so as to turn therewith is a governor 5 which comprises a pan" of weights 6 connected by a deformable linked structure 6 with a pair of sleeves or collars 7 and 8. The "upper? collar 7 is secured to the shaft 3 by a'ipin 8 and is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed lugs 9 and 10 to which are pivoted the ends 11 and 12 of the links 13 and 14 of the deformable structure 6. The weights 6 of the governor are adjustably mounted on the lower extremities of these links and the arrangement is such that said balls may be set nearer to or farther from the pivotal points of connection of said links with the upper collar 7 so as to set the same to ac- .cord with the predetermined limit-speed of the units. As shown in the drawing, the wpights are of spherical form and provided with diametral openings corresponding in form to the cross-section of the links so as to be slidable thereon, the balls being secured in the set position by screws 15 or other suitable means. Intermediate the weights 6 and the upger ends of the links 13 and 14 are pivote the ends 16 of the links 17 and 18 of the deformable structure 6. The lower ends of these links are pivoted at 19 and 20 to a boss 21 on the lower collar 8. This last mentioned member is splined to the shaft 3 and is provided with a circularflange or disk portion 22 whereof the face 23 is adapted to be brought into abutment with a correspondingly formed surface 24 on a pulley or sheave 25 to ob tain driving connection between the handwheel 1 and sheave 25. Adjacent the sheave 25 is a shaft 26 which is journaled in bearings 27, only one of which is shown. The shaft at intervals along its length carries a number of radial arms 28 which are ada t ed to engage with the under surfaces of t e bosses 29 formed on the sheaves 25. Each of the radial arms cooperates with a corresponding sheave 25 and the outer end thereof is forked so as to straddle the shaft 3. Each branch of the fork may have the outer end thereof enlarged to form a socket 30 to receive a ball or the like 30 to reduce friction between said fork and the rotating surface 29 of the corresponding sheave. The shaft 26 may be provided with a lever 31, which is adapted to be, operated to impart angular movement to the shaft and thereby cause the radial arms 28 thereon to engage with the sheaves 25 and cause-the upper surfaces thereof to come into driving engagement with the faces 23 of the lower collars 8 of the governors. The contacting driving surfaces may be faced with leather or other material used in mechanical clutches or a metal to metal contact may be relied upon to obtain the desired driving connection. It will be understood that the sheave 25 is connected by a cord or other flexible member with the corresponding unit on the race course and when the sheave is rotated by the handwheel the unit will be caused to traverse the course against the action of a coun-.

terweight or similar device as fully described in Patent No. 1203852.

As shown in Figs. 1 and'2 the sheaves are adapted, when so driven, to wind up cords 40, 41, 42 and 43 which pass over suitable guide pulleys and are attached to the units 45, 46, 47 and 48 respectively so as to cause them to travel along a horizontal ath from right to left as viewed in F ig. 2. he cords 41, 42, 43 and 44 extend rearwardly of the units as viewed in Fig. 2 and pass over suitable guide pulleys 49 and 50 and have attached to their ends weights 51 respectively, so that upon releasin the driving mechanism the weights 51 will, return the units to with the face 23 of the collar 8. When the player is ready to start the game by rotating the handwheel 1, the attendant will turn the lever 31 to raise the sheave 25 into driving engagement with the collar-8 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so that when the'startin signal is given, rotation of the handwheifi will cause the sheave 25 to rotate and through the cord or other flexible connection, impart movement to the corresponding unit along the course. As previously mentioned, the operation of the lever 31 will cause the driving and controlling means of the several handwheels of the apparatus to become operative so that the contestants will be'able to proceed with the race.

Driving connection between the sheave 25 and the lower sleeve 8 'will depend upon the speed of rotation of the handwheel and so soon as the speed exceeds that for which the wei hts 6 are set, the wei hts will fly outwar ly under the action 0' centrifugal force and deform the linked structure, thereby causing the lower sleeve 8 to be raised out of engagement with the sheave 25 'so as to allow the latter to remain at rest or be rotated in the opposite direction by the counterweight or similar device connected to,the unit. So long as the speed of the handwheel or the speed of the corresponding unit does not exceed the predetermined value, driving connection between the parts will be retained and the unit will be propelled along the course.

It will be understood that the deformable structure and other parts of the driving and controlling meansmay. be modified in many. ways without departing from the scope 'of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

The improved driving and controlling device may be adapted to govern the circuits of an electric motor which actuates the unit.

' In this case, the movable member of the device would constitute a motor control and might function in the same manner as a motor controller to vary the speed of the motor or actually effect the reversal thereof.

What I claim is 1. In an amusement device of the class described, the combination of a unit, a hand operated member for displacing said unit, centrifugal means for releasing the operative connection between said hand operated member and unit when the speed of thehand operated member. exceeds a predetermined value, and means operatively assothe speed of the hand operated members exceeds a certain value, and a common means for releasing the o erative mechanical connection between al of said units and their hand operated membersrespectively.

3. In an amusement device of the class described, the combination of a unit, a hand operated member for displacing said unit centrifugal means for varying the effect of said hand operated member on said unit when the speed of the hand operated member exceeds acertain value and means operatively associated with said centrifugal eratively connected tosaidunit, a han means for releasing the operative connection between said hand operated member and said unit. 4. In an amusement device of the kind set forth, the combination of a unit, a pulleg opoperated member for actuating said pulley to displace the unit, centrifugal means between said hand operated member and the pulley for releasing operative connection between said parts when the speed of the hand operated member exceeds a predetermined value and means for independently releasin the operative connection between said pul ey and said hand operated member.

5. 11 an amusement device of the kind set forth, the combination of a unit, a sheave operatively connected to said unit, a hand operated member for rotating said sheave to displace the unit, centrifugal means between said hand operated member and the sheave which is driven by said hand operated member, and means for bringing said sheave into engagement with said centrifugal means so that it will be driven thereby.

6. In an amusement device as herein set forth, the combination of a unit, a sheave for displacing said unit, a shaft on which the sheave is rotatably and slidably mounted, a centrifugal device secured on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a collar carried by said centrifu al device and displaceable when the speed 0 the shaft exceeds a predetermined limit and means for raising said sheave into engagement with the collar so that it may be driven thereby.

7. In an amusement device as herein set forth, the combination with a displaceable unit of driving and controlling means therefor, comprising a rotatable shaft, a deformable linked structure rotatable with said shaft, weights carried by two of the links the class plurality of said structure, a collar secured to said shaft and pivotally connected to sald lln'ks, a collar splined to the shaft and pivotally connected with the other links of the deformable structure, a sheave rotatably mounted on said shaft and operatively connected to drive the unit, and means for displacing said sheave along the shaft to effect operative engagement with the splined collar of the centrifugal device.

8. In an amusement device as herein set forth, the combination with a displaceable unit of driving and controlling means therefor comprising a rotatable shaft, a deformable linked structure rotatable with said shaft, weights carried by two ofthe links of said structure, a collar secured to said shaft lar splined to the shaft. and pivotally connected with the other links of the deformable structure, a sheave rotatably mounted on said shaft and operatively connected with the unit, a shaft arranged transversely of said first mentioned shaft, a radial arm on said transverse shaft which engages with the sheave and a lever on the transverse shaft for imparting an' angular movement thereto and the radial arm to displace the sheave along the shaft into driving engagement with the splined collar of the linked structure. Y

9. In an amusement device as herein set forth, the combination with a displaceable unit of driving and controlling means therefor comprising a rotatable shaft, a deformable linked structure rotatable with said shaft, weights carried by two of the links of said-structure, a collar secured to said shaft and pivotally connected to said links, a collar splined to the shaft and pivotally connected with the other links of the deform able structure, a sheave rotatably mounted on said shaft and operatively connected with the unit, a shaft arranged transversely of said first mentioned shaft, a radial arm on' said transverse shaft, an enlarged and pivotally connected to said links, a colportion or socket at the end of said arm, a

ball in said socket which engages with the under surface of the sheave, and a lever on the transverse shaft for imparting an angular movement thereto and to the radial arm to displace the sheave along the shaft into driving engagement with the splined collar of the linked structure.

10. In an amusement device as herein set forth, the combination with a displaceable unit of driving and controlling means there for, comprising a rotatable shaft, a deformable linked structure rotatable with said shaft, weights carried by two of the links of said structure, a collar secured to said shaft and pivotally connected to said links, a collar splined to the shaft and ivotally connected with the other links of the deformable structure, a sheave rotatably mounted on said shaft and operatively connected with the unit, a shaft arranged transversel of said first mentioned shaft, a forke radial arm on said transverse shaft an enlarged ortion or socket at the end of each of the f orks of said arm, balls in said sockets which engage with the under surface of the sheave, -and a lever on the transverse shaft for imparting an angular movement 'ment with the splined collar of thereto and to the radial arm to displace the 10 sheave along the shaft into drivin engagee lmked structure. 7 Slgned at New York in-the county of New York and State of New York this 29 day of 15 January A. D. 1918. v

FRANZ EDWARD WORTMANN. 

